1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to sporting and/or recreational devices, and more particularly to a stable, hand-driven water craft for individual use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
By virtue of recent increases in available leisure time, a need has arisen for various novel devices designed primarily for use in connection with recreational or sports activities. Water sports, for example, continue to be extremely popular, and have stimulated the development of numerous aquatic devices and small water craft for individual use.
Exemplary of such devices are row boats, canoes, surfboards and various portable and/or inflatable rafts, boats, and the like. Typically, such devices are propelled either by natural forces, as in the case of sail boats and surfboards, or by means of an inboard or outboard motor most commonly driven by an internal combustion engine. While such prior art systems have proven to be satisfactory for their intended purpose, a simple, lightweight, extremely stable water craft for individual use, operated by a hand-driven propeller has heretofore been unavailable.
The prior art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 901,862; 1,030,525; 1,321,267; 1,516,241; 2,045,645; and 2,858,788 and Australian Pat. No. 22,953, is generally cognizant of recreational water craft of type to which the present invention pertains. However, these prior devices are typically cumbersome, cannot be easily disassembled for travel or repair, do not exhibit acceptable hydrodynamic characteristics, and are expensive. For these reasons, among others, such prior art craft have not been well received in the market place.